Mary Elizabeth Winstead Reveals The 'Star Wars' Advice Husband Ewan McGregor Gave Her

Actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead turned to her husband Ewan McGregor for "Star Wars" advice.

Although Winstead is about to make her debut in a far, far away as Hera Syndulla from the animated series "Star Wars: Rebels," McGregor is well-known to fans as Obi-Wan Kenobi from the prequel trilogy. He also reprised his role in the "Obi-Wan Kenobi" Disney+ live-action series last year.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly on their Dagobah Dispatch podcast, Mary Elizabeth Winstead admitted that she watched Ewan McGregor try to practice using the Force in real life, saying, "I have definitely caught him doing that."

When asked how the real-life Obi-Wan Kenobi feels to see her joining the franchise, she replied, "He was just so happy and excited for me," adding, "He really was. He's just like, 'There's just nothing else like being embraced by this community and being a part of it. It's just such a special thing.'"

The publication noted that after he wrapped up his role as the Jedi Master in the prequel trilogy, he appeared to be done with the franchise for good. In 2016, he told Magic Radio that he didn't have a "need" to reprise his role, saying, "I don't have a burning need to do it again, or indeed any sort of fascination for the movies that everyone else seems to have. I don't really have that. Maybe because I've been in them. I've seen behind the curtain, you know what I mean? It doesn't have the same type of wonderment to me."

However, Winstead revealed that his "appreciation" for the franchise has been growing over the years, which led him to pick up his lightsaber again for last year's "Obi-Wan Kenobi" Disney+ live-action series. "Over the years, he's grown in his appreciation more and more and more and more," Winstead said. "And I've been able to witness that and to see that grow in him, and to see his Obi-Wan series happen, and how that felt for him to be greeting the fans and getting their response."

The interaction between "Star Wars" actors and the fans seems to have made the biggest impression on Winstead, especially after receiving an overwhelming amount of applause for her role at Star Wars Celebration London earlier this year. "Just to get to be a part of that world and to be part of something that people care so much about and characters that people are so invested in is such a special thing," Winstead continued. "So it's kind of amazing that we get to be in this world together, but not together, you know?"

For the record, actress Rosario Dawson, who plays the role of the titular Ahsoka Tano, absolutely loves the fact that the husband and wife duo both star in the same franchise, even if they won't share any scenes together. "I love that y'all are like a Star Wars family," she told EW during the podcast. "I know when Obi-Wan was coming out and you were telling me that in the anticipation of it coming up, people were just walking up like, 'May the Force be with you.'"

"It was so great," Winstead replied. "We'd be with security guards on places we would go and they would give him like a little bit of special attention and then go, 'May the Force be with you.' It was when Obi-Wan was coming out, like there was this special time that people were like, 'Oh, God, we know it's coming and we want to tell you we approve.' It was so nice."

On the same podcast, the actress also talked about what it is like to "pretend" you are using the Force while filming. "It's the intention and the desire behind it," she explained. "I feel like I have it more than someone who just wants to move an object. I definitely feel more powerful and confident portraying this character, and I think it does show up. Even when I'm meditating, I feel that there is an energy that we have and a power that we have that if we do concentrate it and focus it in the right ways can move mountains."

"Ahsoka" will premiere on Disney+ in August 2023.